Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-05
GORDON TRAIN ROBBERS.
A Clue That the Detectives Have Failed
TO Find in Regard to the Gordon
Train Robbery.
bers Made Their Escape by Way of
Dublin Instead of srephenviile.
Stephenville Empire.


The rumor has been prevalent in
fWho robbed the express tram at Gordon
left the country by way OF Wylieville and
Dublin. If this is correct, then the de
tectives are far off the track, and have
worked en- irreparable wrong On the
young men they arrested rear Stephen
Gently. 1t is now evident the officers
were on the right trail when they got on
the track of the covered carriage at or
near the scene OF the robbery, but when
they got to Wylieville the robbers went
toward Dublin, and the United States
maTshals ;trailed q buggy on to Stephen
vile, but not the right one. Here they
found carriage answering the deScrlp-
ton of The one they had traIled, and this
caused them TO arrest John Oxford and
Others. Mr. Brink Oxford has Just re-
turned from trip to WylieViIle, from
whence he went out on the Dublin road.
A number of reputable citizens living
along the Dublin and Gordon road in
formed him that they saw the hack sup
posed TO contain the tram robbers, and
that, Instead of passing on to Stephen
vie, IL went 10 DuOlln.
At tie trisl at Dallas, Mr.. Barrett, VINO
was at Tom Wylie's house, testified that
on Saturday evening he Was sitting in the
house, and saw the buggy coming down
the Dublin road near where it intersects
the Stephenville and Gordon roed.
The government then introduced Ray
to testify in rebuttsl. He swore that after
the robbery he trailed the buggy from the
scene of the robbery to Stephenville, and
that he then went back to Wylieville and
took the Dublin road, Travelled it clear on
to Dublin. and inquired all along the
road, and heard nothing Of the buggy, nor
found any tracks.
The examining trial at Dallas is now
over, and one innocent man languishes
in jail because he was too poor TO give
bond, two are out on bond and two have
been turned loose. If the officers had
been shrewd and sharp they would not
have come down TO Stephenville and ar
rested the owners Of the first cover d
hack they found. Had they made dill
gent search on the old Dublin
road leading from Wylieville they
would have secured robbers, toy Their
with all their booty. That the robbers
travelled that road is iGcontestable, as
u
people near Wylieville who say the deteC-
;ives never made inquiries as to WHETHER
or not the robbers passed through their
section CA toward Dublin. The deteC-
tiges did not, it seems from what the
people say who live on the Gordon and
Dublin road, make any inquiries Of them
concerning the covered hack or buggy.
The first place Mr.. Oxford stopped st
of Vy,Ii
GOrdOn's, ABOUT one and s hall miles on
the Dublin road. Mrs. Gordon says she
saw the hack on Saturday evening going
toward Gordon. The next man interro-
gated was Bill Simpson, VINO saw the
buggy or back. He was at the church at
! tending an Alliance meeting Saturday
when the buggy passed along ON the old
Gordon road, which is travelled but little,
and intersects the new road at the church,
The next morning he saw where the same
vehicle had passed over the road in the
direction of Dublin. The next house af-
ter leaving the church in the direction OF
Dublin is Richard Halls. 1t is
near the road. Hall and wife
! both stated that a closed hack
passed their house about sunrise on Sun
day morning, going in the direction of
Dublin. Two miles further on is the
house OF J. W. Hall, and he stated that
on Saturday, January %, q hack stopped
near his house, perhaps to noon, as be
! saw the men hitGhing up. They pulled
out toward Gordon. The next morning
soon after sunrise he saw the same hack
returning from the direction of Gordon.
! Both the Halls stated that one horse was
8 sorrel, the other bay, and that the
| hack looked like a family carriage with
the curtains buttoned down closely.
This description answers the hack and
horses which Ray trailed toward Wylie-
vile from the scene of the robbery, and
whose trail he lost st Wylieviile Ray
then took the trail Of a buggy which came
from Gordon toward Stephenyille. 1t
was occupied by citizen named
Groom. Both the Halls stated
that they were surprised
that none of the detectives had made
inquiries along their road. After learn
ing of the train robbery at Gordon they
were certain that the men il the hack
which passed their house were the
guilty ones. The Halls also stated that
other men along the Dublin road saw
this hack going to Gordon and returning
on Sunday morning toward Dublin. The
evidence was so plain that Mr.. Oxford
did not pursue the trail any further
toward Dublin. He was certain, as are
all the people who live along the Dublin
aRd Gordon road, that the mack seen on
thai road Saturday contained the Gordon
train ROBBERS.